LVN teacher teaching with non-sterile syringes

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2011

I do not see what the problem is. Why is it unacceptable to for you to practice giving injections to oranges with syringes and needles that are not sterile? The teacher is attempting to teach the students how to give injections. She's not giving a lesson on clean technique or sterile technique. The needle does not have to be sterile if the students are practicing giving injections on oranges.

For future reference, I would do what the instructor says, especially if this is a private trade school. If you challenge your instructor's authority too many times or refuse to do too many things, it is very possible that you could be dismissed from the program due to some nonspecific reason (misconduct, insubordination, etc.).

In nursing school, the name of the game is to fly under the radar. Keep a low profile, do not attract attention, and avoid getting into disagreements with your instructors. They have more power than you think.

agldragonRN · Oct 8, 2011

i don't see a problem with reusing needles in oranges. you are just practicing. as long as you know you will not do this on a real patient, then it's fine. i had the same experience in my lpn program.

try talking to your teacher and explain that you just did not want to get confused and reuse needles on a real patient that is why you said something.

i will give you a couple of advice to be successful in lpn school:

1). the teacher is always right

2). do not argue with the teacher because the teacher is always right

3). do not rock the boat because the teacher is always right

4). do not challenge the instructor because the teacher is always right

5). keep a low profile

all you want to do there is learn everything you can, get out of there, then pass the nclex.

good luck!

Nalencars · Oct 8, 2011

Hello TheCommuter I understand what you say,but...

Actually I am not refusing to do many things ,I am doing my best to stay in this school where they don't have any material to teach us ,my tuition is $26.000 and we don't even have new gloves ,all gloves have holes on it .

We don't have any material to work ,and like i said she got a plastic bag with syringes ,and I know that a box with 100 syringes are from $10 to $20 .A student from my class offered to her a new box with 300 syringes and she refused to accept ,because she is so rude ,and she wanna be better than everybody else .So... why i need to accept to work with gloves with holes ,without material and with used syringes ,where my money is used it?

My instructor all the time try to put us down she says as a LVN we are going to clean just ***** ,and she don't know why we are in this program .Everybody is complain about that ,and the director of the program don't do nothing .

I know that teachers need to be respect ,but they need to respect us as well ...I am trying my best to don't get into disagreements with her ,but it is impossible ,because everyday it is a new bad stuff .

caliotter3 · Oct 8, 2011

I am curious as to why you thought you needed sterile needles and syringes to practice on oranges. It seems you missed the point when you were taught about sterile technique. You should have understood when the instructor explained to you, if not, then you should have asked her to make it more clear for you. Do not hesitate to make certain you understand, but don't ask about things that you can just as easily find out for yourself before or after class.

Nalencars · Oct 8, 2011

Caliotter 3

I think it is because I am so lost in this school ,I started in june and I don't know nothing ,because actually we are doing nothing ,they just trow up the lectures and when my instructor feel like ,she teach us laboratory skills .She actually did not tell us nothing about syringes ,she asked the Group A(our class is split in 2 groups)to teach the group B how to use syringes ,she did not give us any explanation about nothing ,she just ordered to us to pay attention and use the syringes .And she even said: "Pay attention guys ,because if you don't know I assure you ,I will gonna fail you " .We don't have any encouragement from her ,about 75% of the class are failing on the tests ,and they don't do nothing .So...I am studying in a school with poor teaching ,no materials and I am feeling like I am the more stupid person in this world .

agldragonRN · Oct 8, 2011

i am trying my best to don't get into disagreements with her ,but it is impossible ,because everyday it is a new bad stuff .

i had a classmate like you who always argued with the teacher then during clinical left the bed (with patient) on the highest position and walked few steps to the sink. she failed that semester for being "unsafe" due to that incident. yet i did the exact same thing and walked few steps to the sink to wash my hands and when i heard "what are you doing?" from my instructor, i played it cool and told her "oh i know you are there with the patient so somebody is watching her". she just told me okay and not to do that again. i got 95% out of 100% on that clinical rotation. that was the highest clinical grade in the whole class. true story.

i'm sorry your school is not what you expected it to be. your school should be more organize especially with that steep tuition.

i offer you good luck!

Nalencars · Oct 8, 2011

AgldragonRN

Thanks for the advice

I understand what you say,and everybody else here .That is why I came up with this question ,because I am really lost .I am doing self-teach because the lectures are so poor,she just trow up the chapters reading the power point and talking about her life and her husband's life. I am trying to don't argue with her ,and I just did that this day ,because at the day before she was trying to fail me on medications,she said in front everybody I was wrong with the generic name of the medicine and she got a student's cell phone and looked at the internet the generic name of the medicine . And I was correct ,I got 40 /40 questions.The way she did was so embarassing ,and she does that almost everyday with the students .She just doesn't do that with some students from her country .Just they are the best ,and to her we are nothing,all the time she comes up with this :"We F.....nurses are the best ,and you guys are going to find a lot of us in the hospitals and they are going treat you like s**&*&^%...."

I don't know how to deal with her ,I am feeling frustated ...

caliotter3 · Oct 8, 2011

You are not stupid. You are aware enough to have figured out that you are not being given good instruction. Unfortunately, many of the for profit LVN schools are like this, so it may not be to your advantage to find another school. You will need to decide if you want to stay there and struggle through it to reach your goal or leave to find a better program. As it stands, you know that you can not verbally challenge this instructor. You will find yourself booted if you make yourself into a perceived problem student. I know someone who was in a school like this. They got together with some of the other students and formed a study group so that they could teach each other what they needed to know to pass. Sometimes this is what it takes.

caliotter3 · Oct 8, 2011

Your last post says a lot. I believe you should leave this school. You will not make it if this person decides already that because you will meet a lot of her ethnicity that they will treat you like ......., so that makes it ok for her to treat you like ...... You can not win with someone like that. Best to leave now. Get your money refunded. And I am sorry to say, that you should inquire as to the background of the instructors at any new program that you are considering.

agldragonRN · Oct 8, 2011

agldragonrn
thanks for the advice
i understand what you say,and everybody else here .that is why i came up with this question ,because i am really lost .i am doing self-teach because the lectures are so poor,she just trow up the chapters reading the power point and talking about her life and her husband's life. i am trying to don't argue with her ,and i just did that this day ,because at the day before she was trying to fail me on medications,she said in front everybody i was wrong with the generic name of the medicine and she got a student's cell phone and looked at the internet the generic name of the medicine . and i was correct ,i got 40 /40 questions.the way she did was so embarassing ,and she does that almost everyday with the students .she just doesn't do that with some students from her country .just they are the best ,and to her we are nothing,all the time she comes up with this :"we f.....nurses are the best ,and you guys are going to find a lot of us in the hospitals and they are going treat you like s**&*&^%...."
i don't know how to deal with her ,i am feeling frustated ...

i'm glad you understand. i know it is frustrating. i had one teacher in the beginning of my lpn class like that too. all she did was read from the book verbatim (word for word). i did not listen to her and just wrote down the chapters and studied on my own when i got home. some teachers do not know how to teach.

just do what you can to survive lpn school. lpn school was like a boot camp for me.

Nalencars · Oct 8, 2011

Caliotter 3

I know,that is why I am feeling really bad .I really study a lot ,from 10 tests I failed 1 ,and I failed because I am so stressing that I can't sleep thinking about all those bad things .She never said one praise about my grades ,just trying to put me down ,and everybody else in the class that are not from her ethnicity .

And i will do that ,next week I will going to see another schools and I will gonna ask everything .

thank you